Report: Saint Mary's basketball lands Minnesota transfer Joe Coleman

Saint Mary's College will add Minnesota transfer Joe Coleman to its men's basketball program, according to ESPN.

Coleman, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 rebounds while starting 32 games last season for the Gophers. But when Minnesota fired coach Tubby Smith and replaced him with Richard Pitino, Coleman decided to transfer.

He found a fit in the Gaels.

"It came down to the fact that Coach (Randy) Bennett has been able to develop guards and also that they have playing time available," Coleman told ESPN.com. "When Coach Smith left, I decided I wanted to go somewhere that I could expand my game."

Coleman, a Minnesota native, has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He will sit out next season per NCAA transfer rules.